I love this challenge. Here are my potential reads:
1. A 19th Century Classic - any book published between 1800 and 1899.
The Refugees by A. Conan Doyle (1893)
Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen (1811)
2. A 20th Century Classic - any book published between 1900 and 1967.
The Keys of the Kingdom by A.J. Cronin (1941)
3. A classic by a woman author.
The Rosemary Tree by Elizabeth Goudge (1956)
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (1926)
4. A classic in translation. Any book originally written published in a language other than your native language.
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (1877)
5. A classic published before 1800. Plays and epic poems are acceptable in this category also.
On Friendship by Cicero (44BC)
The Iliad by Homer (c.760–710 BC)
6. A romance classic. I'm pretty flexible here about the definition of romance. It can have a happy ending or a sad ending, as long as there is a strong romantic element to the plot.
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (1948)
7. A Gothic or horror classic. For a good definition of what makes a book Gothic, and an excellent list of possible reads, please see this list on Goodreads.
The Hound of the Baskervilles by A. Conan Doyle (1902)
8. A classic with a number in the title. Examples include A Tale of Two Cities, Three Men in a Boat, The Nine Tailors, Henry V, Fahrenheit 451, etc.
The House of the Four Winds by John Buchan (1925)
9. A classic about an animal or which includes the name of an animal in the title. It an actual animal or a metaphor, or just the name. Examples include To Kill a Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men, The Metamorphosis, White Fang, etc.
The Goshawk by T.H. White (1951)
10. A classic set in a place you'd like to visit. It can be real or imaginary: The Wizard of Oz, Down and Out in Paris and London, Death on the Nile, etc.
Under the Yoke by Ivan Vazov (1888) - set in Bulgaria. I'd love to visit any of the countries around the Balkans.
11. An award-winning classic. It could be the Newbery award, the Prix Goncourt, the Pulitzer Prize, the James Tait Award, etc. Any award, just mention in your blog post what award your choice received.
The Forgotten Daughter by Caroline Dale Snedeker (1933) Newbery medal
12. A Russian Classic. 2017 will be the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, so read a classic by any Russian author.
Cancer Ward by Alexander Solzhenitsyn (completed in 1966; published in 1968)
We by Yevgeny Zamyatin (1924)
18 comments:
This is a superb challenge. As I tend to read many books that would likely meet the criteria. I should really put together my own list.
You have some great upcoming reads
Your picks look wonderful. I am jealous of you reading Cancer Ward for the first time.
I'm excited to see The Refugees on your list! It's been many years, but I remember finding it quite intriguing. Cancer Ward and We are also on my list for this year.
You could easily fill the categories with the type of books you read. Hope to see you join up.
I meant to read it last year and have had it on the shelf for quite a while!
Conan Doyle has written such a wide range of books. I notice you have a Sherlock Holmes Challenge. I've read lots a his historical fiction but only got started with Sherlock last year & have thoroughly enjoyed the stories.
I'm reading a Solzhenitsyn for my Russian Challenge (but cannot remember if I added him to my Back-2-Classics). Anyway, I'll be interested to read your review on Cancer Ward. I may want to read that one of these days. Solzhenitsyn has a special place in my heart.
As always, I love your lists! The Forgotten Daughter is an awesome read .... not only engaging and compelling, it portrays slavery in such an effective and balanced manner. I can't wait to hear what you think of it!
He has a special place in my heart too, Ruth. There's something about these Russian authors that gets under my skin.
Thanks! I remember you really liked that book & Snedeker is such a good author.
You've got a lovely sounding list! I vote Sense & Sensibility.:D
I've also heard The Keys of the Kingdom is a wonderful piece of work. Many years ago, when my mum recommended one of her students read it, that student was inspired to become a doctor. And she's a really good one now!.
Happy reading!
I just finished Keys of the Kingdom & loved it - I could imagine someone being inspired to do something like that after reading it. I read Sense & Sensibility about 15 years ago but would like to reread it as I rushed through it the first time.
It would be a bit false of me to say excellent choices, though I think they are, as I have not read most of these. However, I adore Anna K....so I hope you enjoy it. Cheers.
I'm sure I will. It's Russian lit - say no more!
Fabulous list. I have already started to tweak what I will be reading this year. I finally read Persuasion, as it was one that I had c chosen for A Romantic Classic.
I look forward to seeing how you come along.
Thanks Toady. I really liked Persuasion.
What a fantastic idea:)
:)
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